Sunday, June 1, 2014

Jake and Jessica – A Happy Day!

Earlier in the year, we received this “save the date” card,
mounted on a magnet (how smart is that?):

Jake is Robert’s nephew, the oldest of the Mayo clan. Alan was home during this time, and since
Nestlé was still with us at the time and we needed someone to be home to keep
an eye on things, I had a little begging to do.
Alan had wanted to go to the wedding, too, but was kind enough to step
back and let me be the one to go with Robert (Robert and Alan went to visit
Susan and the family at a later date).
It was already pretty exciting (Jake and Jessica truly were made for one
another), but when I found out that they had asked Paisley to be their flower
girl, I was even more excited!

You see, we were there when Jake’s parents were married
those years ago….

…And Mandy was one of their flower girls!

Jake's wedding was held at a beautiful venue, and the whole
place was buzzing with excitement.
Paisley’s mother managed to get a few pre-wedding shots…here is Paisley hanging
out and gearing up:

Before too long, it was going to be time! Paisley was armed and ready with her basket
of petals:

Soon, the big moment arrived! It was Paisley’s duty to prepare the pathway
for the beautiful bride, and she took her job seriously! While Jessica and the rest of the wedding
party were all smiles and giggles, and even danced their way down the
aisle, Paisley was not going to succumb to all of that frivolity! This was serious business – she had a job to
do! -- and her stoic countenance and stern concentration were certainly
reflective of this solemn, blessed occasion:

It was a really special ceremony – Jake and Jessica were
married by the same preacher who had married Jake’s parents. (How many people can say that?) And as I said earlier, Jake and Jessica
really are a good match and we hope they have a wonderful life together:

I have to say, though, that of all of the wonderful things
that I witnessed that day, I was most inspired by Robert’s sister, Susan. Susan is now battling her third round of
cancer (this time it’s lung cancer). The
day would have been strenuous for any mother-of-the-groom, but I can only
imagine that for someone right smack in the middle of cancer treatments, it had
to be absolutely exhausting. Despite
this, Susan donned her wig, her gloves, and her pretty dress and was there for
her son for the whole day.

Susan, Paisley, and Grandma Lynda:

Mandy’s favorite picture (and I must say, mine, too) of the
whole event was this touching moment of Susan dancing with her son:

Susan is such an inspiration to me, and whenever I’m feeling
whiny about some goofy thing I’m miffed about, I just think of her and
immediately stifle myself!

My second favorite photo is this one:

It reminds me of a picture I took behind the scenes when
Mandy’s flower girl, Avery, was a little scared about going out in front of all
of those people, and Mandy gave her a little pep talk:

The cycle of life and love continues, and we were grateful
to have a bright spot to celebrate so early in the year!

Gone But Never Forgotten: Cookie...

...And Chewka Marie...

...And Ruby...

Liked roosting on our shoulders, eating grapes, and hanging out with Opal

...And Pearl

Liked running free in the yard, scratching in the garden bed that was supposed to be off-limits, and being close to a human at all times. "Her" crowing led to "her" having to go back to her original family due to a city ordinance against roosters!

...And Molly

Likes EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD, pouncing Cookie and Toffee, going out to potty at 2:45 a.m., and drinking water out of puddles. Is now living with another family in the area, in a big house with a pool and two other Golden Retrievers!